In chapter 2, verse 1 may also read, “You being dead by reason of your trespasses and sins.” Some will say that Christ believes for us because a dead person cannot do anything. Thus, they will say that Christ both draws us and responds for us because we were dead until Christ caused us to come alive in Him through salvation. There are multiple problems with this.
First, in Christ’s encounter with Nicodemus in John 3, Nicodemus was obviously dead in trespasses and sins. Still, Christ tells him that he must believe. This is the most plain explanation of salvation in the Scriptures. Christ is telling Nicodemus that despite being dead in trespasses and sins he is, through Christ’s power and gift of faith, able to believe. Our belief is the human response to Christ’s drawing of us.
What is belief? Belief is nothing without action. If you believe the house is on fire but take no action, then your belief is of little value. Belief alone will not rescue you from the danger of fire. There must also be action. Our action is evidence of belief. Yet in Christ, we cannot cause ourselves to be born, nor can we cause ourselves to be born again. The evidence of our belief is salvation in Christ.
In other words, evidence for belief on Christ is the witness of the Spirit or the assurance in our hearts of salvation. Hebrews 10:22, Romans 8:16 The action is on the part of God, not ours. Our part is belief, which is the response to Christ made possible through the gift of faith. In a moment, Christ draws us to Himself (John 12:32) and enables us to believe on Him through faith (Hebrews 12:2). Our part is belief. John 3:1-21 Having believed on Christ, we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8), and the Holy Spirit provides assurance (Hebrews 10:22, Romans 8:16).
It is a legal transaction rooted in God’s law, and every legal transaction requires at least two parties.
The second problem with how some approach Ephesians 2:1 is what happens in the raising us from the dead to new life in Christ. Again, drawing from John chapter 3, we must be born again. This necessarily implies that there is a death. Romans 6:6, Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:9 Because the “old man,” or the carnal nature dies when we believe on Christ (Romans 8:9-15), we are raised to new life in Christ. The bondage of sin and death is removed. In 1 Peter 1:23 and 1 John 3:9, the image of a seed is used. This helps us understand that the old self is dead, and the seed of Christ lives in us.
If we admit that we are made alive in Christ, then we must also admit that the carnal nature or the old self is dead. How, then, do we go on sinning if the carnal nature is dead? Those who claim that we are unable to do anything because we are dead in trespasses and sins believe we remain in our trespasses and sins even after a host of Scriptures say the carnal nature has died. If it is dead, how can the carnal nature do anything?
This opens the door to a discussion beyond the scope of Ephesians. Suffice to say that Romans chapter 8 helps us see that if we sin after the Holy Spirit provides assurance of salvation it is because we allocated power and resources to that sinful act. It is indicative of our limited free will. God always allows us the choice, yet it is the choice against Christ which will damn us.
Is it possible to not sin? The Bible plainly tells us it is, or at least sin is not to be our practice. 1 John 3:6,9, Psalm 119:3, Romans 6:2 In Romans chapter 8, Paul discusses our relationship to sin and the world after we are born again through Christ. We are not in bondage to sin and flesh once we are born of the Spirit, and in Christ, we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Romans 8:9-15 This means that if we do sin it is an intentional decision resulting from allocating resources to the sinful act. If we are not in bondage to sin and flesh, sin has no control over us to coerce us to respond to temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 Thus, in Christ and through the Spirit, it is possible to not sin, and sin cannot be our practice. 1 John 3:9, James 3:8-12
Thus, in Ephesians 2:2, Paul uses language such as “in which you formerly walked” and “the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience”. These phrases help us understand that through Christ and the Holy Spirit we are released from the power and bondage of sin. “Formerly walked” means we are no longer walking in trespasses and sin. Indeed, Romans 6:2-13, Romans 8:9-15, 1 John 3:9, John 3:1-21, Ephesians 4:22, and Colossians 3:9 help us understand that once we are born again the old self has died. We are, therefore, no longer living unto sin.
If a dead man cannot respond to Christ while in trespasses and sin, then neither can a dead man continue sinning once the old self has died. We must tread consistently here. While we are dead in trespasses and sins, we cannot of our own accord turn to Christ.
However, Scripture plainly instructs us that the power of Christ quickens our spirit, so that we can respond to His drawing. Likewise, once we are in Christ, the old self which was formerly alive to trespasses and sins is now dead to sin. The power of Christ and the Holy Spirit does not give us life to commit sin, but only to live unto righteousness and holiness. Once the old self is dead, our bondage to sin is broken, and the Spirit does not produce the fruit of sin in us. How then do we continue sinning?
The only answer can be that we intentionally allocate power to enable sin. It is indicative of our limited free will. Christ is drawing us into Christlikeness, but we still have the ability to deviate from His plan.
Like this post? Subscribe to stay up to date on new posts.